Kess Skunk Works

[fgayford]

So Kess, what secret go fast things are you working on for you Gull?
Fred

[blaswichk]

My first project this year is to install the Black Max hydraulic disc brakes that I just bought. It won't make the Gull fly any faster, other than I will then get to finish the pant to gear leg fairing. The present drum brakes are pitifully weak and noisy, and, I get giggles when I taxi by my friends hangars. My other upgrade is to install a carpeted bulkhead right behind the aileron push tube to close off the fuel tank and rear of plane. That should help reduce the din that is surrounding me. I'm staying with the 503 a while longer as it pushes the Gull through the air quite nice, and anything else is lots of dollars and down time. Oh, and there of course is the other wing tip landing light project. I found and HID kit for $20 that includes the bulb, harness, and ballast. It fits right in the same socket as a low beam halogen that is in my lens type projector lamp, and man is it bright! It's about 5 times brighter than my LED project on the other side. I may not fly hard darkness, but I sure will be seen in the pattern at dusk and shortly after.

kb

[fgayford]

Glad to hear your not hibernating the winter away.
I don't know if I already told you that I have designed vertical stabilizer streamlined caps. and they fit like a glove. I have the mockups done,I just need to make the moulds and then parts.I will probably make them when my dash moulds are done so I am getting close.
Heh, who knows, you might just get another mile an hour out of your gull. If not it will sure look faster.
Fred

[blaswichk]

That's for sure. It looks fast sitting on the ground with the wheel pants and fairings. I don't get it, I took off following a Piper Cub that was doing a touch and go, got his altitude halfway down the runway, and caught up with it on crosswind, and blew past about 25mph faster, but still get called an ultralight by the Cessna crowd. I had to correct one guy by telling him that it is an ultralight looking experimental airplane that keeps up with Cessnas, then soon later I got cut off on short final by the same Cessna guy. Go figure!!

kb

[fgayford]

Yah but ultarlight sounds better than a cessna spam can. (its only my opinion and I like just about everything that flies, but the 172 cessna. Its a big, fat, heavy, ugly looking flying taxi.)
I better duck!
Fred

[gjcarter34]

Kess,

Your really going to like the Black Max brakes, I installed them on an
Odyssey and they worked great.

Gary

[rileywinglowe]

Did you guys come up with individual brake pedals for differential braking, or just use a single handle on the stick?

Riley

[blaswichk]

I'm going with the single handle on the stick for now, and the handle has to face backwards as the curvature in the stick won't allow it to face frontwards as on the Titans. The nosewheel steering response is so strong, and our wheel track is so narrow, that differential braking is really not needed. I still am thinking about the pedals, and how I could do that project, and have an idea using the handbrake levers as part of the actuator. My biggest issue right now is getting the proper wheel size. I was miss-shipped again the right size, and have to work that out.

kb

[rileywinglowe]

Part of the reason I was wondering about the single handle is, I don't think I'd want to give up the heel stirrups for my feet. Any thoughts on that?

Riley

[o4201]

I usually just let the GA folks go first because I know they are paying a
lot more per hour to fly! That and I enjoy flying so its a good excuse to
get a few more minutes of air time.

P.S. For me, being called an ultralight is not an insult. ;)

Blade.